<Chapter 6. Level 3 >
[Low Rank Sprint has become Lv3.]
[Beginner Acid Resistance has evolved to the low rank level. You can resist acid more effectively, and acid resistance is also given to your equipment.]
How long would he have to roll around in the clearing filled with dirty water? Lee Shin Woo honestly felt thankful that he was a skeleton with unlimited stamina. Even if his stats were the same, he would've run out of energy already if he were a human, and been squashed.
"Tch, you're still trying?"
[Gureureureu...!]
As a result of it self-destructing in an attempt to shake off the Flames of Revenge, the Great Slime had reduced to the size of a normal slime. It did increase its speed significantly, but the problem was that it hadn't gotten used to its smaller size, so its charge attacks' accuracy had dropped.
[Gureureureuk!]
"Umhp." (let's see)
Lee Shin Woo avoided its attack, as he had gotten used to its movements. It slammed into the opposite wall, and completely destroyed the surface of the wall. The force behind its charge had certainly become tremendous, but he could now close his eyes and still dodge its attack.
"My magic is slowly reaching its limit. Let's finish this."
[Gureuk...!]
If it wasn't for the bones stockpiled in his inventory, it would've been impossible to endure until now. He had completely used them up, and squeezed out the mana to use his Regeneration skill. All in order to endure.
What's worse, he hadn't been able to repair a portion of his rib bones as they remained damaged until now. His armor was also worse for wear. He was already in this situation by the time his Acid Resistance had risen to low rank and he could imbue it to his armor.
However, the important thing was that he hadn't died yet and endured.
'Flames of Revenge.'
He thought about pouring all of his mana into the flames, but desperately controlled the urge, only instilling about half of his mana into the flames. He had left enough mana to utilize Regeneration, or the Flames of Revenge just one more time. If it didn't die after taking two shots, then he'd really have to die and come back to life.
[Low Rank Magic Affinity has become Lv3. Magic has increased by 2. Your magic will have a greater effect with a lower amount of mana.]
The skill level had increased by a lot, but as he fought various battles within this dungeon, he felt as though he had taken a step into the domain of detailed mana control that couldn't be explained simply by skill level.
There probably weren't many amongst the senior heroes that could manipulate mana as delicately as he could, so he could say that he was truly amazing. Though he himself didn't actually know that.
[Gureureureureureureu!]
The Great Slime roared. It had realized that the flames that Lee Shin Woo used weren't normal.
It became aware that the next time those flames touched it, it would die, and tried to avoid the flames at all cost. It started to quickly bounce around everywhere, to the point that if one were to witness it, they would get motion sickness.
"Ha!"
However, Lee Shin Woo launched his Flames of Revenge without even properly aiming it. Since its size had lessened significantly, the slime seemed to think that it could somehow avoid the flames, but from the start, the Flames of Revenge was a technique that couldn't be avoided!
[Ggureureureuk!]
As expected, the Flames of Revenge, neither quickly nor slowly, proceeded through the clearing and accurately struck the Great Slime's body. And because Lee Shin Woo made use of the wind, the slime went up in flames. The flames burned slowly when its body was still huge, but now, its entire body was engulfed instantly.
[Kik... Kihik...]
At that moment, he heard a sound that he hadn't heard before from the slime. Lee Shin Woo prepared for its self-destruct, and curled his body up again, but no matter how long he waited, it didn't explode. Instead, this message appeared in front of him.
[You have hunted a Lv3 Great Slime.]
[You have achieved the feat of defeating an elite monster that was a higher level than you by only using fire. Magic has increased by 5. You have acquired the 'Four Elements: Fire' token. Beginner Flames of Revenge has reached level 10, and evolved into the low rank level. You can create stronger flames with less mana, and you can imbue not only your weapons, but also your body with fire.]
He opened his (nonexistent) eyes wide. It was already astonishing that he had gotten his second token in this dungeon alone, but the fact that this message appeared meant...
Lee Shin Woo carefully raised his head. There was no explosion, and there definitely wasn't a charge coming. Through the Great Slime's rampage, various parts of the clearing had collapsed, and he saw a sphere radiating light in the center. It was a core!
"Ha..."
Lee Shin Woo saw that and a lengthy sigh escaped his mouth. It was such a lengthy and intense battle that he couldn't easily get the feeling that it was over, despite it definitely being over. It kind of felt like the day he was discharged from the army. The battle had felt that long to him.
"But I still won."
He couldn't give himself lip service and say he won due to his skill. Rather than needing his polished combat skills, he was just busy running away and shooting out flames. If this were a novel, the readers would say 'what kind of development is this?' and criticize it.
However, he won. Regardless of the means necessary, he won. He won without dying. That was enough for him. He was as happy as he could be.
He won, so it was now time to collect the loot. Lee Shin Woo moved his creaking body and walked over to where the Great Slime lay dead. There were four things there. Perium, the Great Slime's core, someone's deteriorated bone, and finally, a large shield.
[You have acquired 11,210 Perium.]
[You have acquired the Great Slime's Bone Core.]
[You have acquired a deteriorated Skeleton Shielder's shoulder bone.]
[You have acquired a Lv2 Bone Tower Shield (+5).]
'If this goes well, I won't even need to go the shop to level up...'
Due to his achievement, his stats had risen to a total of 396. He didn't have a way to tell what level monster the Skeleton Shielder was, but if he included this, and the Great Slime's Bone Core, it felt like he'd be able to raise his stats by at least 4.
"Hoo..."
For starters, he collected the Perium. He checked his inventory and saw that he had collected 71,130 Perium after this last deposit. He was truly deeply moved. It only seemed like a couple days ago that he was pondering which bone he should pick which cost a little more than 3,000 Perium, yet to think he had gathered a sum of 70,000 Perium already...!
He looked at his inventory and after nodding his head a few times, moved on to his next task. That was to put all his equipment into his inventory.
'When I got to level 2, Bone Reinforcement had absorbed all of my equipment as well. Since there's a high likelihood of that happening again...'
Of course, at the same time, the Bone Reinforcement's effects had been truly amazing. It would retain the abilities of the weapons, no, it could increase those abilities during the absorption. However... even if he obtained the abilities his equipment had, the defensive capabilities, as well as their attack power aren't retained.
Since the Bone of Thunder Lasting and the Dire Wolf Bone Armor were items that possessed outstanding attack power and defensive capabilities, it would be a complete waste to sacrifice them in order to gain some stats. So, he needed to prepare before leveling up.
'And.'
He actually removed the other items from his inventory, besides the Bone of Thunder Lasting, and the Dire Wolf Armor; this included the shield he had just acquired. They were all level 1 or level 2 equipment, and they were items he received as rewards from the dungeons.
Since both his weapon and armor were level 3, he thought the reinforcement would fail with this equipment, so he had stored them all. And if he were to aim for the right time for Bone Reinforcement with this equipment, he ascertained that that time was now: when he leveled up. He was starting to get the know-how of how this worked.
"Hoo, then shall we start?"
After he piled up the equipment right beside him, he inspected them with delighted eyes and raised the deteriorated Skeleton Shielder's shoulder bone in his hand.
"Bone Reinforcement."
[You have reinforced your shoulder bone. Health has increased by 3. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Shielder's memories and experiences.]
[Kukek, this warped, cursed body will ultimately be buried here... General, please forgive me for not being able to return to your side... - Hiles Keller]
Who the hell are you!? Why the hell are you saying something so profound!? No, and if we're talking about a general here, is it Seagald or Leofield? If not, is it a new, third general!? Why are all the generals here so popular!?
"Damn it, I'll remember the name 'Hiles Keller'..."
He only wanted to improve his abilities, but why is this subplot constantly being attached? His curiosity naturally increased, but Lee Shin Woo decided to ignore it for now. More importantly, his stats now totaled 399 through Bone Reinforcement.
"I'm so scared that I'm shaking."
Lee Shin Woo checked once again that his equipment was safely inside his inventory and cautiously grabbed the Great Slime's Bone Core. He gripped it in one hand, sighed once again, and... initiated the Reinforcement.
[The Great Slime's Bone Core reinforces your entire body. Magic has increased by 17. Acquiring a portion of the Great Slime's memories and experiences.]
[Guoooooooooh! Kugeugeugeugeugagagagagaga! - Great Slime]
"..."
The Great Slime's extremely clear memories passed through his brain. Its first memory was the moment its entire body was burning, going completely crazy, and self-destructing.
"It shouldn't be, right...?"
He was worried with the Rat Queen that he'd get a skill based on birthing, but since he had acquired the Regeneration skill as a result, it should be like that this time as well. It had to.
The moment Lee Shin Woo muttered to himself, trying to get himself to accept it, a dark magic hung over him, as though it had been waiting for this moment.
[It is time for you to receive the karma you were endowed.]
[The Lv2 Bone Tower Shield (+5), as well as the other 13 bone equipment were consumed all at the same time, and Bone Reinforcement has been executed. The effects of the equipment a lower level than you are halved.]
"Ugh...!"
It went as expected. He didn't know how, but the moment he leveled up, all the bone equipment in his periphery were drawn to him and Bone Reinforcement was initiated! Perhaps this was why Bone Reinforcement possessed a modification ability; perhaps it was for this very moment...!
The equipment flew and changed into small particles. The instant those particles were absorbed, he felt a strong power rising throughout his body, as well as a sign that something was changing. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought.
'Perhaps... the ultimate goal of Bone Reinforcement is to integrate the strength of the bones, as well as the bone equipment into my body as one.'
Of course, it was still impossible to make a deduction. Did he have to try Reinforcing bone equipment with other bone equipment, or should he try to reinforce his own bones? It was still a problem that he needed to solve.
He couldn't say which exactly was more effective yet. From now on, this was a problem he'd have to look into, possibly for quite a long time.
But right now, the only thing he was sure about was that he still needed the assistance of powerful equipment.
[Strength has increased by 11, Agility by 9, Health by 13, and Magic by 12. You have learned the active skill, Low Rank Harden Lv1.]
[The Bone Reinforcement skill has become Lv4. You can now target others and use your Bone Reinforcement on them.]
Even while he seriously considered his Bone Reinforcement and the direction of his growth, the change proceeded quickly. All the potential strength within the equipment was extracted and as a result, his stats were reinforced beyond his wildest imagination; in the process of leveling up, his bones thickened once again and became even more durable.
His height increased considerably and became close to 1 meter and 90 cm. His bones were even more saturated with darkness and anyone that saw him would say that his bones were black. And once the acquired memories and experiences were collected and organized, they bore fruit.
[Low Rank Sprint has changed into the Combat Sprint skill. The level remains the same. In exchange for the skill duration shortening, when it is used in tandem with a attack skill, the attack is amplified. Agility has increased by 5.]
[You have acquired the active skill, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1. By exploding a section, or even your entire body, you inflict tremendous damage to all your enemies in the surrounding area. You also take a significant amount of damage. Health and Magic have increased by 3.]
Combat Sprint was probably an ability that the shielder had. It had changed in a way that better suited him, so it couldn't get any better than this.
More importantly, contrary to Regeneration, he hadn't been saved from receiving the Self-Destruct skill... Lee Shin Woo decided to think about this later. After all, there was something much more important that he had to do right now. A change much greater than any skill... a level up.
[You have become level 3. The effectiveness of your stats increases. Your proficiency in combat related skills, with the addition of a bonus, increases. The boxes in your inventory increase by 20.]
[Due to the feats you have achieved, your species changes. You have become a Dark Skeleton. You are more aggressive and handle magic superbly, but you are extremely vulnerable to divine power. However, you have been blessed by God, so this weakness is nullified.]
[Resistances that lay dormant have been revealed.]
As he saw the message stating that his evolution was complete, Lee Shin Woo, who had calmed himself down, checked his body and muttered.
"A Dark Skeleton, huh?"
A Skeleton Avenger, or a Skeleton Warrior, is like a 'job' in a game, not a species. But this time, his species had actually changed.
Honestly, his bones were all dyed black now, and with one look, he gave off more of a menacing impression than before. He felt that his strength and his magic were much stronger, to the extent that they were incomparable to before. If it was with his current strength, he felt as though he could face the Great Slime head on.
'However, my bones have turned black, so will I be able to properly fool the skeletons...?'
Lee Shin Woo had a concern that truly befitted a hero, and smiled gently. He could actually feel just how much more powerful his body had become, so he was able to cleanly sweep away his uneasiness and concern over the future.
"Hoo... then."
He had something he needed to check first. Despite Lee Shin Woo roughly knowing, he shook for some reason, a reason that he himself couldn't understand; he smiled bitterly and...
Opened his status.
[Lee Shin Woo]
[Dark Skeleton Avenger]
[Treasure Hunter]
[Lv - 3 (Status effectiveness 125%)]
[Strength - 113 + 10 Agility - 108 + 10 Health - 127 + 10 Magic - 130 + 10] (While dungeon bonuses are applied)
[Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv4, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv5, Low Rank Magic Affinity Lv3, Low Rank Stealth Lv3, Beginner Command Lv5]
[Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv4, Low rank Combat Sprint Lv5, Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv1, Low Rank Regeneration Lv1, Beginner Catapult Lv9, Low Rank Flames of Revenge Lv1, Beginner Power Slash Lv7, Low Rank Harden Lv1, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1]
[Resistances - Holy: MAX, Curse: MAX, Acid: Low Rank Lv1]
"Wow, it increased even more!?"
When he went up from level 1 to 2, his stats' effectiveness increased by 10%. Of course, that was plenty amazing, but now that he'd risen from level 2 to 3, it had increased by an additional 15% to a total of 125% effectiveness!
Go figure, it felt like his body was overflowing with power, but the Giant Slime, which was only one level higher than him, felt way too strong!
'Levels really are everything in this world.'
He had acquired a lot of skills and had grown until now, but to properly unleash the power of those skills, his stats had to become his foundation.
He felt like he understood why his seniors were so focused on only increasing their levels. Plus, they had revealed that they were level 6, so he couldn't imagine how powerful they were. Yet, even they wouldn't dare challenge the deep darkness that lay within the Empire!
'If we exclude the temporary bonus stats that the dungeon gives, my total stats are about 478. These numbers are impossible just from changing equipment... Ah, as I leveled up, my combat related skills went up as well. Because of that, my stats increased even more, I see.'
Because of that, Bursting Thunder, Catapult, Power Slash, and even the Command skill he hadn't had an opportunity to properly use, naturally leveled up, and his level 9 Shriek of the Dead, as well as Regeneration went up to the low rank level all at once.
Lee Shin Woo knew how drastically the skills change when they go from the beginner level to low rank, so he was really excited and checked the information of the ranked up skills.
[Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv1 (Active)]
[Causes the enemy to lose their mind, and puts them into a 'frenzied' state. Additionally, they are afflicted with 'Fear' of the caster.]
[Low Rank Regeneration Lv1 (Active)]
[Damage is healed through magic. Regeneration speed and effectiveness increases.]
There was an option added to Regeneration stating that its speed and effectiveness increased, and there was a 'Fear' option added to the Shriek of the Dead. He was excited as he wondered what kind of change this would bring upon the battlefield.
However, there was something he was more excited for; it was the new skills he had gained. Honestly, most skills start at the beginner level, but both skills started at the low rank level!
[Low Rank Harden Lv1 (Active)]
[Consumes mana in order to harden and strengthen the area of your choosing. You can also apply this to your weapons or armor.]
"Oh, this is simple and precise, so it's great."
Firstly, the Harden skill should be great both offensively and defensively. Especially, since it was a low rank level, it had additional options, and those options made his eyes go wide. It would reinforce his equipment, making them both stronger and sturdier. It would work as an all-purpose skill!
[Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1 (Active)]
[By exploding a section, or even your entire body, you inflict tremendous damage to your enemies. The damage increases geometrically the larger the area you explode.]
Whereas Self-Destruct seemed like it would be extremely difficult to use. He would die on the spot if he exploded his entire body, so who the hell would want to use this skill!?
At least Lee Shin Woo possessed the Invisible Heart skill, so it wouldn't be so bad, but even taking that into account, it was definitely a skill with a horrific penalty.
"Moreover, even if I were to just explode a portion of my body, it ultimately just means that a portion of my body, which is attached to me, would explode right in front of me... Hmm?
He muttered like crazy, but then it hit him. A portion of the body... if that's the case, then what if he were to remove a portion of his body and then explode it? He had just the right skill for that.
'If I were to quickly launch my bone with my Catapult skill... and then add my Flames of Revenge to increase the accuracy and firepower...'
If he were to somehow succeed in integrating those three skills, he would completely rid himself of the weakness of 'self-damaging himself', and it seemed like he'd be able to create a skill with the maximum explosive effect. It may be a bit dangerous, but it was worth it to test it.
'Hmm?'
Lee Shin Woo, who had been immersed in his thoughts, suddenly looked over his status, and realized something new.
In exchange for the 'Blessed by God' words being removed from his species, the moment he received Low Rank Acid Resistance, he saw that he had received a renewed section for Resistances, and two additional Resistances.
'Holy - MAX, Curses - MAX... How much do I have to raise the level of my skills to get to MAX?'
These two skills weren't new; he accurately interpreted it as the two Resistances that he already had being openly expressed in his Resistances section, something that had occurred following his level up, and the Resistances section being opened up.
It was much more intuitive, showing both his holy and curse Resistances maxed out, rather than a vague phrase like 'Blessed by God'. Looking at it like this, he suddenly realized just how much he had received from God.
'But what she took from me was equally as large...!'
Despite him leveling up to level 3, he grit his teeth at the empty space between his legs and his bald head. What, would she only feel better if she took it all!?
"Hoo, but still, for now..."
Rather than getting fired up for unclear, visionless revenge, he should be focusing on his growth instead! After checking the dungeon reward, he would go to the secret shop. He would get stronger.
"...Huh?"
Lee Shin Woo, who suppressed his rage and pacified himself, closed his status and checked the area where the Great Slime had died again; he soon realized that something was off.
"There's no dungeon reward."
He had already cleared several dungeons. There wasn't a single time where he wouldn't receive a dungeon reward after defeating the boss monster. Aside from what the boss itself would drop, there would always be a small wooden box that appeared.
But there wasn't one. What did this mean? The conclusion was simple.
'Perhaps... Perhaps the Great Slime wasn't the dungeon boss?'
After thinking of that, he thought of the evidence that would back his hypothesis up one by one.
When he had first entered this room, he thought it felt out of place! Now, that reason was clear. Normally, the moment a challenger shows up in the boss room, it automatically turns into a secret room, yet the Great Slime closed the door itself, which felt odd.
Moreover, when he thought about it, even when he took down the Great Slime, he didn't get a message that he'd cleared the dungeon. By now, there was no room for doubt. He hadn't cleared this dungeon yet.
"Ha, an elite level 3 boss showed up in a level 1 dungeon, and you're saying that wasn't the main boss?"
Seriously? What the hell is this? Despite him already receiving a plentiful reward from the Great Slime, he was hit by a sense of frustration, feeling as though he hadn't gotten a proper reward for his efforts. And then, a piece of rationality soon returned to him.
'There definitely wasn't any other path, though...'
Lee Shin Woo used the slimes to train, and to get the most bang for his buck, he searched the entire dungeon, and killed them all. He checked all the blocked paths, and found that the passageways merged into one. Yet, if this wasn't the end of the dungeon, how would he even reach the end?
- Tak, Tadak
At that moment, a piece of rock fell from the wall. Since the Great Slime had moved around, ramming here and there, it wouldn't have been strange if the entire passageway had collapsed.
However, as he thought that, he casually gazed at the wall, and was dumbfounded.
"This crazy..."
He saw a tiny hole in the wall opposite the entrance, likely due to the Great Slime forcefully ramming, and digging into it. That's right. A hole. There was definitely a room beyond that wall.
Lee Shin Woo shivered at the pitch black darkness, and the magic he felt beyond the wall. It was a concentration of magic that didn't even compare to the room he was in! He was right. The dungeon continued on!
"... Shall we?"
Lee Shin Woo checked the side of the wall that still endured, despite receiving several of the Great Slime's charges, and took a deep breath. How could he turn back when he made it this far? He had to find out what was beyond this wall to be satisfied.
'And just in time, I've come up with a great method.'
Lee Shin Woo stepped away from his target, the wall, and considerably widened the distance. After that, he raised a finger, and aimed for the largest crack in the wall.
He utilized his Flames of Revenge skill, which could target his own body after leveling up, and a black flame ignited on his index finger... he quickly launched his finger with his Catapult skill.
- Kwang!
The Catapult skill itself was amazing enough. It was as if he shot a bullet, and the index finger quickly flew towards the wall, lodging so deeply into the wall that it couldn't be seen. He saw the cracks in the wall get progressively more severe.
If he just sat still like this, the flames would gradually rise, and melt the wall. Of course, all of his magic would be depleted by then, so he couldn't do that. Instead.
"Self-Destruct!"
Lee Shin Woo focused as much as he could on his index finger and activated his skill. He was concerned that it wouldn't work from far away, or that he hadn't adapted to the skill yet, resulting in his entire body blowing up, but... they were all pointless concerns. His test had succeeded!
- Kwaaang!
The Self-Destruct skill's effect was quite amazing. Despite activating the skill by targeting his finger bone, it held an incredibly destructive power.
His index finger bone, which exploded magnificently in tandem with the flames, emitted a boom, and caused immense damage to the wall. The wall seemed to hold for a brief moment, but soon couldn't withstand the force, and crumbled, revealing the room within for all to see.
[Level 1 dungeon - You have found a secret path in the Dirtied Sewers. The dungeon information has been updated. Magic has increased by 1.]
[Level 2 elite dungeon - You have acquired a permit for the Secret Sewers. All stats within the dungeon increase by 5. The dungeon information is added to your minimap. All of your actions are buffed within the dungeon.]
"A level 2... elite dungeon."
He had learned about elite dungeons just a little while ago from listening to his seniors. There was a high chance that especially strong, elite named monsters would appear, and the dungeon reward was great, but it was that much harder compared to normal dungeons.
"Hoo..."
There was an extraordinary mana being exuded from beyond the opening, so he thought it wasn't a normal dungeon, but... he stopped himself from being drawn in by the concentrated magic and thoughtlessly walking in.
It was an entrance that he had barely found after defeating a level 3 elite monster. If he took it lightly and went in, he might get into some trouble.
'But still, I have to go inside.'
He wanted to prepare as much as possible before going inside. If one were to ask what those preparations were, there was obviously only one answer.
It was the secret shop.
"Guten Abend[1], Mr. Skeleton."
The red haired beauty sat behind the silver counter, and was eating an orange. When she saw him, she raised her hand and waved. Lee Shin Woo opened his eyes (he didn't have any, but that's how he felt), and asked.
"In what time zone is that the standard way of greeting someone?"
"That obviously depends on how I feel. You're underground, Customer, so you probably don't know the time. But the passage of time differs for each region; you have at least that much general knowledge, right?"
"..."
After hearing that, he suddenly felt curious. He wondered where this merchant usually stayed. Since she talked about time above ground, she might be someone who lives above ground.
She might've misunderstood his gaze, as the merchant hid the orange in her hand and spoke defensively.
"I'm not giving this to you. It's something that's hard to obtain in the Empire."
"I'm not interested, you know? Plus, I can't eat it, even if you give it to me!"
"Ah, right."
The merchant cheerfully laughed while peeling the rest of the orange and throwing the slices in her mouth. Lee Shin Woo promised that she'd get her just desserts someday, and asked her something. It was to decide what he would do with the 'Beginner Stealth' skill book that he had continuously stored in his inventory.
"I acquired a skill book for a skill I've already learned, so can I sell it here?"
"I'd recommend that you read it."
"Even though I've already learned it?"
"Though you've already learned the skill, the experience within each skill book differs. Your proficiency should also increase. And... unfortunately, our shop doesn't handle beginner skill books."
"It's such a great skill, so why!?"
The shopkeeper giggled, and said.
"It's only good when one is placed in a peculiar situation like yours, Customer. Aside from you, Customer, most of the other heroes are higher than level 4, so when would they have time to train the skill while fighting monsters higher than level 4? It would just add another unnecessary weakness."
"Ugh..."
It was a reasonable criticism. As he shook, he meekly retrieved the skill book and opened it. He didn't really need to read it. The moment he opened the book, the contents of the book entered into his brain, fully intact.
[The Low Rank Stealth skill has become level 4. You can move without making a sound. Agility has increased by 1.]
It was truly frustrating that the knowledge and the experiences within the skill book were never light. Lee Shin Woo, who had already trained and familiarized himself with the skill, was even more greatly aware of this, and by the time the skill book, which had done its job, disappeared into mana particles, the level of his skill went up.
The merchant beamed, as if she already knew about it, and looked straight at him. Lee Shin Woo felt angry, and was pointlessly curt, proposing the next order of business.
"Please give me a bone. The most expensive and worthwhile bone that I can afford."
"Hmm, you're level 3, right Customer? Level 3 bones are quite cheap, but they probably wouldn't help you right now. Then, you'd have to go up to level 4 bones, though I don't think you'd have that kind of money Customer... Oh my, you have more than 70,000 Perium already. How?"
When she checked the amount of Perium he had, her eyes gleamed with what appeared to be amusement.
"It's honestly not very surprising that you've leveled up to level 3 in two weeks since being dropped into the Empire. If we consider the power that you were given, we can say that you're talented. However, the total amount of money you gathered in that short period of time, as well as your Invisible Heart which has stopped at level 3... Customer, you're a bit interesting."
"I knew you thought I was interesting the first time you saw me, though."
The skeleton replied, uninterested. She burst out into an even greater laughter and clapped. And then she made an extremely unexpected offer.
"Very good. I've become interested in your story. Would you like to tell me about your experiences until now?"
"Are you going to give me something?"
"I wasn't planning on just hearing about your experiences for free. I'll reduce the price of your item by 20,000 Perium."
"Please sit down."
In exchange for telling his story, she would cut down the price of the transaction by 20,000 Perium, so he had no reason to refuse. He immediately straightened his neck and faced her. Her red eyes glowed, as if there were magic within them. She looked like she couldn't hold back her anticipation.
'Damn it, she's extremely pretty.'
It wasn't a problem that she was a beauty. The problem was that he didn't feel uneasy whatsoever when facing such a beauty.
"So in the beginning..."
Lee Shin Woo started his story with those dismal feelings. He precisely and concisely picked out the central parts of his story, from the moment he ended up in the Empire, to now.
"So, I ended up finding the path that leads to a level 2 elite dungeon, and decided to drop by here."
"Hoo, indeed."
The merchant breathed out, seemingly expressing satisfaction, and opened her mouth.
"That guile, that composure... Above all, your obsession over your life has caused a change, Customer. Even though you possess 100 lives, to think you'd place so much value on each and every one of them. Even God probably wouldn't have been able to predict this. Yes... by doing so, you became a new Trickster, Customer."
"Is that really important?"
"It is important. You're walking a path which no one else can walk in this world where everything is decided by karma. Moreover, you've already acquired 8 tokens at this stage? Ha, you're interesting. Really interesting. I don't feel like the Perium has gone to waste."
She clapped her hands and nodded her head. Lee Shin Woo felt like he had become an entertainer somewhere and asked her a question.
"If this information gets leaked to the others..."
"It won't happen. I double as an informant, but your information will not be leaked to anyone else, aside from me, and will be kept a secret. Even if that person is another hero."
"That's a relief."
And it was also beneficial that he'd learned that she doubled as an informant. Right now, he didn't have any problems as he had a lot of things to do right now, but further along the line, if his progress were to be blocked, it wouldn't be bad to pay her Perium in exchange for her advice.
When they were completely finished with their talk, Lee Shin Woo went on to the next matter.
"If you're satisfied, you're going to reduce the price by 20,000 Perium, right?"
"I said I'm not a Trickster, so I'll settle the deal fairly. Here, I've picked out the most expensive bones that you can buy with 91,130 Perium."
She took out two bones, one by one, from underneath the counter, and laid them atop the counter. One of them was a blue bone, and the other was a red bone. When he saw those two bones, he didn't know what to say.
"With a discount of 20,000 Perium... The red bone costs 67,510 Perium, and the blue bone costs 71,040 Perium."
"To think I'd have to pick between two bones again..."
There's a limit to bad taste! Moreover, though the colors are the same as last time, the levels are different, and they're bones from a completely different monster! Lee Shin Woo, while firmly grinding his teeth, checked the prices first. If he bought the blue bone, he would be left with 90[2] Perium, and was pissed since it was similar to last time.
"You obviously can't tell me what monster it came from, right?"
"Of course. Ah, if you were to buy a cheaper bone, you could check the information right after, but would you like to do that? Though I wouldn't recommend it."
The merchant didn't hide her intent and snickered. Perhaps she had offered the 20,000 Perium discount in order to present these two bones at the same time and to piss him off!
Lee Shin Woo meticulously inspected the exterior of the two bones. He couldn't differentiate them by their hardness alone, and the magic coming from them as well...
Wait a second, magic?
"...Hmm."
"Hoh."
When Lee Shin Woo concentrated deeply on the two bones, the merchant looked amused.
"You're honestly a bit surprising. To think you'd awaken such aptitude in magic from just the experience you acquired from that bone last time... Oh my, it seems like you already can't hear what I'm saying."
"Hmm..."
There was magic in all the bones he'd acquired until now. It was just that the tendency of that magic changed.
When the bones contained a pure, deep magic, he would gain magic stat points, but if there was a different, complex power within, he could gain other stats as well.
'While it was alive, the owner of the bone had a special power, and that special power was wrapped in magic; through Bone Reinforcement, that lock was removed, and it felt like that power was transferred to me intact...'
Of course, even if he didn't know what monster the bones in front of him belonged to, he had absorbed hundreds, if not thousands of bones that raised various stats. Though he didn't know about the skills, he felt like he could read the pattern of the magic that changed depending on which stat it would raise.
[Low Rank Magic Affinity has become Lv4. Magic has increased by 3.]
'...Yeah, I feel like I know now.'
Of course, since they were both level 4 bones, the amount and quality of the mana differed compared to the other bones he had acquired, and the pattern boasted a complexity on another level to those that came before, but... still, he could read the flow of mana within and when he exerted himself, he was able to intuitively grasp the abilities of the bones.
'The red bone is clearly from a warrior, or something similar. I can probably gain strength and health from that one. The blue bone is... honestly purely magic. It's a magician. To think that they'd really be divided based on color...'
He didn't need to think about it complicatedly. Both the red bone and the blue bone would reveal their owner's power and characteristics. The red magic corresponded to strength and health, while the blue magic was entirely focused on magic, and emitted light.
'Between the two, the one I need the most right now is...'
Right now, when the level 2 elite dungeon is right ahead of him, which ability should he increase? If he were to just look at his stats, he should leave his excessively grown magic stat, and it seemed like procuring strength and health was a good choice. Moreover, acquiring the warrior's skill was appealing...
However.
"I'll go with the blue bone."
Despite all that, Lee Shin Woo chose the blue bone, which would further increase the imbalance among his stats. He honestly thought that there wasn't any other choice but the blue bone.
Whether it be the Regeneration skill that he had made good use of in this dungeon, or the Harden skill that he'd have to concentrate on and train, or the Flames of Revenge, etc; using all these various skills necessitated him using mana.
So, for Lee Shin Woo, who considered training his skills as important as gaining stats, there was honestly no other choice from the very beginning.
"Haha, does it seem like I'll say something?"
But it seemed like the merchant was satisfied with his decision. She smiled brightly, grabbing the red bone and returning it, and passed the blue bone to him. Lee Shin Woo slightly tilted his head towards the inquiring merchant.
"Are you saying it was an excellent choice?"
"Yes, you're right. You made a really, really good decision. You may be the greatest Trickster that God has created."
Ever since Lee Shin Woo had divided the two bones based on their magic, she had been continuously smiling, and that smile only further deepened now.
"Magic is the basis for all strength. It's fine, so long as it's not an amount that the body cannot withstand, causing the body to break. Since you can do the rest with magic anyway. I'm talking about strengthening the body, as well as its changes. This is especially important to you, Customer, who has opened your eyes to magic at an early stage."
As he listened to her, Lee Shin Woo had a hunch. He could heal his shattered body through Regeneration, and the Harden skill he had just received could strengthen his body. So, there should be another skill that lets him reinforce his body in a different way.
Of course, strength, agility, and health were the fundamental abilities that influence the body and they were certainly important stats, but even when combining the three, magic was more important.
"Thank you. I've received your payment of 71,040 Perium."
"Then, I'll get going now. I'll come back faster next time and get that red bone, so please wait for me."
"Ah, please wait just a minute."
He didn't regret his decision, but he still had a lingering attachment to that red bone. He spoke the lines that retreating enemy troops would say, and when he was about to leave, the merchant grabbed him.
"I haven't properly heard your name yet, Customer."
"...My name is Lee Shin Woo."
He thought that the merchant would've already known his name by now, but Lee Shin Woo obediently told her his name. Lee Shin Woo would see her a lot in the future, so he thought it'd be better to formally introduce himself.
"My name is Pleine. As you can see, I'm responsible for the secret shop."
"Then I'll see you next time, Pleine."
"I hope you'll come and see me when you've become stronger."
It wasn't just his imagination that the merchant... Pleine seemed to be kinder to him than before. And that was all because he had personally proven his potential. The greatest virtue on this planet was none other than strength.
He suddenly realized that fact, smiling bitterly, he left the secret shop. He then returned to the clearing, in front of the dark, lengthy passageway.
"Hoo, then..."
Since he roughly knew the result, he didn't shake that much. After Lee Shin Woo had briefly grasped that there was no danger in his periphery, he boldly activated his Bone Reinforcement. He somehow figured out that it was a part of something else, and it was actually part of the skull, the sphenoid bone.
[Reinforcing the sphenoid bone. Your compatibility with the target is incredibly high and you have acquired a skill with great success! Magic has increased by 24. You are more deeply absorbing ???'s experiences and memories.]
"Hey, wait...!?"
Lee Shin Woo, who realized that the activation of the skill was different from last time, hurriedly tried to gesture, but it was obviously to no avail.
An enormous amount of information and a clear consciousness entered his brain, and for a short time, his consciousness was completely locked away.
And the appearance of another world unfolded.
[1] T/N: Good evening in German.
[2] T/N: Toika wrote 90 Perium last time when it should've been 70, but he counted correctly this time.
<Chapter 6. Level 3 >
[Low Rank Sprint has become Lv3.]
[Beginner Acid Resistance has evolved to the low rank level. You can resist acid more effectively, and acid resistance is also given to your equipment.]
How long would he have to roll around in the clearing filled with dirty water? Lee Shin Woo honestly felt thankful that he was a skeleton with unlimited stamina. Even if his stats were the same, he would've run out of energy already if he were a human, and been squashed.
"Tch, you're still trying?"
[Gureureureu...!]
As a result of it self-destructing in an attempt to shake off the Flames of Revenge, the Great Slime had reduced to the size of a normal slime. It did increase its speed significantly, but the problem was that it hadn't gotten used to its smaller size, so its charge attacks' accuracy had dropped.
[Gureureureuk!]
"Umhp." (let's see)
Lee Shin Woo avoided its attack, as he had gotten used to its movements. It slammed into the opposite wall, and completely destroyed the surface of the wall. The force behind its charge had certainly become tremendous, but he could now close his eyes and still dodge its attack.
"My magic is slowly reaching its limit. Let's finish this."
[Gureuk...!]
If it wasn't for the bones stockpiled in his inventory, it would've been impossible to endure until now. He had completely used them up, and squeezed out the mana to use his Regeneration skill. All in order to endure.
What's worse, he hadn't been able to repair a portion of his rib bones as they remained damaged until now. His armor was also worse for wear. He was already in this situation by the time his Acid Resistance had risen to low rank and he could imbue it to his armor.
However, the important thing was that he hadn't died yet and endured.
'Flames of Revenge.'
He thought about pouring all of his mana into the flames, but desperately controlled the urge, only instilling about half of his mana into the flames. He had left enough mana to utilize Regeneration, or the Flames of Revenge just one more time. If it didn't die after taking two shots, then he'd really have to die and come back to life.
[Low Rank Magic Affinity has become Lv3. Magic has increased by 2. Your magic will have a greater effect with a lower amount of mana.]
The skill level had increased by a lot, but as he fought various battles within this dungeon, he felt as though he had taken a step into the domain of detailed mana control that couldn't be explained simply by skill level.
There probably weren't many amongst the senior heroes that could manipulate mana as delicately as he could, so he could say that he was truly amazing. Though he himself didn't actually know that.
[Gureureureureureureu!]
The Great Slime roared. It had realized that the flames that Lee Shin Woo used weren't normal.
It became aware that the next time those flames touched it, it would die, and tried to avoid the flames at all cost. It started to quickly bounce around everywhere, to the point that if one were to witness it, they would get motion sickness.
"Ha!"
However, Lee Shin Woo launched his Flames of Revenge without even properly aiming it. Since its size had lessened significantly, the slime seemed to think that it could somehow avoid the flames, but from the start, the Flames of Revenge was a technique that couldn't be avoided!
[Ggureureureuk!]
As expected, the Flames of Revenge, neither quickly nor slowly, proceeded through the clearing and accurately struck the Great Slime's body. And because Lee Shin Woo made use of the wind, the slime went up in flames. The flames burned slowly when its body was still huge, but now, its entire body was engulfed instantly.
[Kik... Kihik...]
At that moment, he heard a sound that he hadn't heard before from the slime. Lee Shin Woo prepared for its self-destruct, and curled his body up again, but no matter how long he waited, it didn't explode. Instead, this message appeared in front of him.
[You have hunted a Lv3 Great Slime.]
[You have achieved the feat of defeating an elite monster that was a higher level than you by only using fire. Magic has increased by 5. You have acquired the 'Four Elements: Fire' token. Beginner Flames of Revenge has reached level 10, and evolved into the low rank level. You can create stronger flames with less mana, and you can imbue not only your weapons, but also your body with fire.]
He opened his (nonexistent) eyes wide. It was already astonishing that he had gotten his second token in this dungeon alone, but the fact that this message appeared meant...
Lee Shin Woo carefully raised his head. There was no explosion, and there definitely wasn't a charge coming. Through the Great Slime's rampage, various parts of the clearing had collapsed, and he saw a sphere radiating light in the center. It was a core!
"Ha..."
Lee Shin Woo saw that and a lengthy sigh escaped his mouth. It was such a lengthy and intense battle that he couldn't easily get the feeling that it was over, despite it definitely being over. It kind of felt like the day he was discharged from the army. The battle had felt that long to him.
"But I still won."
He couldn't give himself lip service and say he won due to his skill. Rather than needing his polished combat skills, he was just busy running away and shooting out flames. If this were a novel, the readers would say 'what kind of development is this?' and criticize it.
However, he won. Regardless of the means necessary, he won. He won without dying. That was enough for him. He was as happy as he could be.
He won, so it was now time to collect the loot. Lee Shin Woo moved his creaking body and walked over to where the Great Slime lay dead. There were four things there. Perium, the Great Slime's core, someone's deteriorated bone, and finally, a large shield.
[You have acquired 11,210 Perium.]
[You have acquired the Great Slime's Bone Core.]
[You have acquired a deteriorated Skeleton Shielder's shoulder bone.]
[You have acquired a Lv2 Bone Tower Shield (+5).]
'If this goes well, I won't even need to go the shop to level up...'
Due to his achievement, his stats had risen to a total of 396. He didn't have a way to tell what level monster the Skeleton Shielder was, but if he included this, and the Great Slime's Bone Core, it felt like he'd be able to raise his stats by at least 4.
"Hoo..."
For starters, he collected the Perium. He checked his inventory and saw that he had collected 71,130 Perium after this last deposit. He was truly deeply moved. It only seemed like a couple days ago that he was pondering which bone he should pick which cost a little more than 3,000 Perium, yet to think he had gathered a sum of 70,000 Perium already...!
He looked at his inventory and after nodding his head a few times, moved on to his next task. That was to put all his equipment into his inventory.
'When I got to level 2, Bone Reinforcement had absorbed all of my equipment as well. Since there's a high likelihood of that happening again...'
Of course, at the same time, the Bone Reinforcement's effects had been truly amazing. It would retain the abilities of the weapons, no, it could increase those abilities during the absorption. However... even if he obtained the abilities his equipment had, the defensive capabilities, as well as their attack power aren't retained.
Since the Bone of Thunder Lasting and the Dire Wolf Bone Armor were items that possessed outstanding attack power and defensive capabilities, it would be a complete waste to sacrifice them in order to gain some stats. So, he needed to prepare before leveling up.
'And.'
He actually removed the other items from his inventory, besides the Bone of Thunder Lasting, and the Dire Wolf Armor; this included the shield he had just acquired. They were all level 1 or level 2 equipment, and they were items he received as rewards from the dungeons.
Since both his weapon and armor were level 3, he thought the reinforcement would fail with this equipment, so he had stored them all. And if he were to aim for the right time for Bone Reinforcement with this equipment, he ascertained that that time was now: when he leveled up. He was starting to get the know-how of how this worked.
"Hoo, then shall we start?"
After he piled up the equipment right beside him, he inspected them with delighted eyes and raised the deteriorated Skeleton Shielder's shoulder bone in his hand.
"Bone Reinforcement."
[You have reinforced your shoulder bone. Health has increased by 3. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Shielder's memories and experiences.]
[Kukek, this warped, cursed body will ultimately be buried here... General, please forgive me for not being able to return to your side... - Hiles Keller]
Who the hell are you!? Why the hell are you saying something so profound!? No, and if we're talking about a general here, is it Seagald or Leofield? If not, is it a new, third general!? Why are all the generals here so popular!?
"Damn it, I'll remember the name 'Hiles Keller'..."
He only wanted to improve his abilities, but why is this subplot constantly being attached? His curiosity naturally increased, but Lee Shin Woo decided to ignore it for now. More importantly, his stats now totaled 399 through Bone Reinforcement.
"I'm so scared that I'm shaking."
Lee Shin Woo checked once again that his equipment was safely inside his inventory and cautiously grabbed the Great Slime's Bone Core. He gripped it in one hand, sighed once again, and... initiated the Reinforcement.
[The Great Slime's Bone Core reinforces your entire body. Magic has increased by 17. Acquiring a portion of the Great Slime's memories and experiences.]
[Guoooooooooh! Kugeugeugeugeugagagagagaga! - Great Slime]
"..."
The Great Slime's extremely clear memories passed through his brain. Its first memory was the moment its entire body was burning, going completely crazy, and self-destructing.
"It shouldn't be, right...?"
He was worried with the Rat Queen that he'd get a skill based on birthing, but since he had acquired the Regeneration skill as a result, it should be like that this time as well. It had to.
The moment Lee Shin Woo muttered to himself, trying to get himself to accept it, a dark magic hung over him, as though it had been waiting for this moment.
[It is time for you to receive the karma you were endowed.]
[The Lv2 Bone Tower Shield (+5), as well as the other 13 bone equipment were consumed all at the same time, and Bone Reinforcement has been executed. The effects of the equipment a lower level than you are halved.]
"Ugh...!"
It went as expected. He didn't know how, but the moment he leveled up, all the bone equipment in his periphery were drawn to him and Bone Reinforcement was initiated! Perhaps this was why Bone Reinforcement possessed a modification ability; perhaps it was for this very moment...!
The equipment flew and changed into small particles. The instant those particles were absorbed, he felt a strong power rising throughout his body, as well as a sign that something was changing. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought.
'Perhaps... the ultimate goal of Bone Reinforcement is to integrate the strength of the bones, as well as the bone equipment into my body as one.'
Of course, it was still impossible to make a deduction. Did he have to try Reinforcing bone equipment with other bone equipment, or should he try to reinforce his own bones? It was still a problem that he needed to solve.
He couldn't say which exactly was more effective yet. From now on, this was a problem he'd have to look into, possibly for quite a long time.
But right now, the only thing he was sure about was that he still needed the assistance of powerful equipment.
[Strength has increased by 11, Agility by 9, Health by 13, and Magic by 12. You have learned the active skill, Low Rank Harden Lv1.]
[The Bone Reinforcement skill has become Lv4. You can now target others and use your Bone Reinforcement on them.]
Even while he seriously considered his Bone Reinforcement and the direction of his growth, the change proceeded quickly. All the potential strength within the equipment was extracted and as a result, his stats were reinforced beyond his wildest imagination; in the process of leveling up, his bones thickened once again and became even more durable.
His height increased considerably and became close to 1 meter and 90 cm. His bones were even more saturated with darkness and anyone that saw him would say that his bones were black. And once the acquired memories and experiences were collected and organized, they bore fruit.
[Low Rank Sprint has changed into the Combat Sprint skill. The level remains the same. In exchange for the skill duration shortening, when it is used in tandem with a attack skill, the attack is amplified. Agility has increased by 5.]
[You have acquired the active skill, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1. By exploding a section, or even your entire body, you inflict tremendous damage to all your enemies in the surrounding area. You also take a significant amount of damage. Health and Magic have increased by 3.]
Combat Sprint was probably an ability that the shielder had. It had changed in a way that better suited him, so it couldn't get any better than this.
More importantly, contrary to Regeneration, he hadn't been saved from receiving the Self-Destruct skill... Lee Shin Woo decided to think about this later. After all, there was something much more important that he had to do right now. A change much greater than any skill... a level up.
[You have become level 3. The effectiveness of your stats increases. Your proficiency in combat related skills, with the addition of a bonus, increases. The boxes in your inventory increase by 20.]
[Due to the feats you have achieved, your species changes. You have become a Dark Skeleton. You are more aggressive and handle magic superbly, but you are extremely vulnerable to divine power. However, you have been blessed by God, so this weakness is nullified.]
[Resistances that lay dormant have been revealed.]
As he saw the message stating that his evolution was complete, Lee Shin Woo, who had calmed himself down, checked his body and muttered.
"A Dark Skeleton, huh?"
A Skeleton Avenger, or a Skeleton Warrior, is like a 'job' in a game, not a species. But this time, his species had actually changed.
Honestly, his bones were all dyed black now, and with one look, he gave off more of a menacing impression than before. He felt that his strength and his magic were much stronger, to the extent that they were incomparable to before. If it was with his current strength, he felt as though he could face the Great Slime head on.
'However, my bones have turned black, so will I be able to properly fool the skeletons...?'
Lee Shin Woo had a concern that truly befitted a hero, and smiled gently. He could actually feel just how much more powerful his body had become, so he was able to cleanly sweep away his uneasiness and concern over the future.
"Hoo... then."
He had something he needed to check first. Despite Lee Shin Woo roughly knowing, he shook for some reason, a reason that he himself couldn't understand; he smiled bitterly and...
Opened his status.
[Lee Shin Woo]
[Dark Skeleton Avenger]
[Treasure Hunter]
[Lv - 3 (Status effectiveness 125%)]
[Strength - 113 + 10 Agility - 108 + 10 Health - 127 + 10 Magic - 130 + 10] (While dungeon bonuses are applied)
[Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv4, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv5, Low Rank Magic Affinity Lv3, Low Rank Stealth Lv3, Beginner Command Lv5]
[Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv4, Low rank Combat Sprint Lv5, Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv1, Low Rank Regeneration Lv1, Beginner Catapult Lv9, Low Rank Flames of Revenge Lv1, Beginner Power Slash Lv7, Low Rank Harden Lv1, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1]
[Resistances - Holy: MAX, Curse: MAX, Acid: Low Rank Lv1]
"Wow, it increased even more!?"
When he went up from level 1 to 2, his stats' effectiveness increased by 10%. Of course, that was plenty amazing, but now that he'd risen from level 2 to 3, it had increased by an additional 15% to a total of 125% effectiveness!
Go figure, it felt like his body was overflowing with power, but the Giant Slime, which was only one level higher than him, felt way too strong!
'Levels really are everything in this world.'
He had acquired a lot of skills and had grown until now, but to properly unleash the power of those skills, his stats had to become his foundation.
He felt like he understood why his seniors were so focused on only increasing their levels. Plus, they had revealed that they were level 6, so he couldn't imagine how powerful they were. Yet, even they wouldn't dare challenge the deep darkness that lay within the Empire!
'If we exclude the temporary bonus stats that the dungeon gives, my total stats are about 478. These numbers are impossible just from changing equipment... Ah, as I leveled up, my combat related skills went up as well. Because of that, my stats increased even more, I see.'
Because of that, Bursting Thunder, Catapult, Power Slash, and even the Command skill he hadn't had an opportunity to properly use, naturally leveled up, and his level 9 Shriek of the Dead, as well as Regeneration went up to the low rank level all at once.
Lee Shin Woo knew how drastically the skills change when they go from the beginner level to low rank, so he was really excited and checked the information of the ranked up skills.
[Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv1 (Active)]
[Causes the enemy to lose their mind, and puts them into a 'frenzied' state. Additionally, they are afflicted with 'Fear' of the caster.]
[Low Rank Regeneration Lv1 (Active)]
[Damage is healed through magic. Regeneration speed and effectiveness increases.]
There was an option added to Regeneration stating that its speed and effectiveness increased, and there was a 'Fear' option added to the Shriek of the Dead. He was excited as he wondered what kind of change this would bring upon the battlefield.
However, there was something he was more excited for; it was the new skills he had gained. Honestly, most skills start at the beginner level, but both skills started at the low rank level!
[Low Rank Harden Lv1 (Active)]
[Consumes mana in order to harden and strengthen the area of your choosing. You can also apply this to your weapons or armor.]
"Oh, this is simple and precise, so it's great."
Firstly, the Harden skill should be great both offensively and defensively. Especially, since it was a low rank level, it had additional options, and those options made his eyes go wide. It would reinforce his equipment, making them both stronger and sturdier. It would work as an all-purpose skill!
[Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1 (Active)]
[By exploding a section, or even your entire body, you inflict tremendous damage to your enemies. The damage increases geometrically the larger the area you explode.]
Whereas Self-Destruct seemed like it would be extremely difficult to use. He would die on the spot if he exploded his entire body, so who the hell would want to use this skill!?
At least Lee Shin Woo possessed the Invisible Heart skill, so it wouldn't be so bad, but even taking that into account, it was definitely a skill with a horrific penalty.
"Moreover, even if I were to just explode a portion of my body, it ultimately just means that a portion of my body, which is attached to me, would explode right in front of me... Hmm?
He muttered like crazy, but then it hit him. A portion of the body... if that's the case, then what if he were to remove a portion of his body and then explode it? He had just the right skill for that.
'If I were to quickly launch my bone with my Catapult skill... and then add my Flames of Revenge to increase the accuracy and firepower...'
If he were to somehow succeed in integrating those three skills, he would completely rid himself of the weakness of 'self-damaging himself', and it seemed like he'd be able to create a skill with the maximum explosive effect. It may be a bit dangerous, but it was worth it to test it.
'Hmm?'
Lee Shin Woo, who had been immersed in his thoughts, suddenly looked over his status, and realized something new.
In exchange for the 'Blessed by God' words being removed from his species, the moment he received Low Rank Acid Resistance, he saw that he had received a renewed section for Resistances, and two additional Resistances.
'Holy - MAX, Curses - MAX... How much do I have to raise the level of my skills to get to MAX?'
These two skills weren't new; he accurately interpreted it as the two Resistances that he already had being openly expressed in his Resistances section, something that had occurred following his level up, and the Resistances section being opened up.
It was much more intuitive, showing both his holy and curse Resistances maxed out, rather than a vague phrase like 'Blessed by God'. Looking at it like this, he suddenly realized just how much he had received from God.
'But what she took from me was equally as large...!'
Despite him leveling up to level 3, he grit his teeth at the empty space between his legs and his bald head. What, would she only feel better if she took it all!?
"Hoo, but still, for now..."
Rather than getting fired up for unclear, visionless revenge, he should be focusing on his growth instead! After checking the dungeon reward, he would go to the secret shop. He would get stronger.
"...Huh?"
Lee Shin Woo, who suppressed his rage and pacified himself, closed his status and checked the area where the Great Slime had died again; he soon realized that something was off.
"There's no dungeon reward."
He had already cleared several dungeons. There wasn't a single time where he wouldn't receive a dungeon reward after defeating the boss monster. Aside from what the boss itself would drop, there would always be a small wooden box that appeared.
But there wasn't one. What did this mean? The conclusion was simple.
'Perhaps... Perhaps the Great Slime wasn't the dungeon boss?'
After thinking of that, he thought of the evidence that would back his hypothesis up one by one.
When he had first entered this room, he thought it felt out of place! Now, that reason was clear. Normally, the moment a challenger shows up in the boss room, it automatically turns into a secret room, yet the Great Slime closed the door itself, which felt odd.
Moreover, when he thought about it, even when he took down the Great Slime, he didn't get a message that he'd cleared the dungeon. By now, there was no room for doubt. He hadn't cleared this dungeon yet.
"Ha, an elite level 3 boss showed up in a level 1 dungeon, and you're saying that wasn't the main boss?"
Seriously? What the hell is this? Despite him already receiving a plentiful reward from the Great Slime, he was hit by a sense of frustration, feeling as though he hadn't gotten a proper reward for his efforts. And then, a piece of rationality soon returned to him.
'There definitely wasn't any other path, though...'
Lee Shin Woo used the slimes to train, and to get the most bang for his buck, he searched the entire dungeon, and killed them all. He checked all the blocked paths, and found that the passageways merged into one. Yet, if this wasn't the end of the dungeon, how would he even reach the end?
- Tak, Tadak
At that moment, a piece of rock fell from the wall. Since the Great Slime had moved around, ramming here and there, it wouldn't have been strange if the entire passageway had collapsed.
However, as he thought that, he casually gazed at the wall, and was dumbfounded.
"This crazy..."
He saw a tiny hole in the wall opposite the entrance, likely due to the Great Slime forcefully ramming, and digging into it. That's right. A hole. There was definitely a room beyond that wall.
Lee Shin Woo shivered at the pitch black darkness, and the magic he felt beyond the wall. It was a concentration of magic that didn't even compare to the room he was in! He was right. The dungeon continued on!
"... Shall we?"
Lee Shin Woo checked the side of the wall that still endured, despite receiving several of the Great Slime's charges, and took a deep breath. How could he turn back when he made it this far? He had to find out what was beyond this wall to be satisfied.
'And just in time, I've come up with a great method.'
Lee Shin Woo stepped away from his target, the wall, and considerably widened the distance. After that, he raised a finger, and aimed for the largest crack in the wall.
He utilized his Flames of Revenge skill, which could target his own body after leveling up, and a black flame ignited on his index finger... he quickly launched his finger with his Catapult skill.
- Kwang!
The Catapult skill itself was amazing enough. It was as if he shot a bullet, and the index finger quickly flew towards the wall, lodging so deeply into the wall that it couldn't be seen. He saw the cracks in the wall get progressively more severe.
If he just sat still like this, the flames would gradually rise, and melt the wall. Of course, all of his magic would be depleted by then, so he couldn't do that. Instead.
"Self-Destruct!"
Lee Shin Woo focused as much as he could on his index finger and activated his skill. He was concerned that it wouldn't work from far away, or that he hadn't adapted to the skill yet, resulting in his entire body blowing up, but... they were all pointless concerns. His test had succeeded!
- Kwaaang!
The Self-Destruct skill's effect was quite amazing. Despite activating the skill by targeting his finger bone, it held an incredibly destructive power.
His index finger bone, which exploded magnificently in tandem with the flames, emitted a boom, and caused immense damage to the wall. The wall seemed to hold for a brief moment, but soon couldn't withstand the force, and crumbled, revealing the room within for all to see.
[Level 1 dungeon - You have found a secret path in the Dirtied Sewers. The dungeon information has been updated. Magic has increased by 1.]
[Level 2 elite dungeon - You have acquired a permit for the Secret Sewers. All stats within the dungeon increase by 5. The dungeon information is added to your minimap. All of your actions are buffed within the dungeon.]
"A level 2... elite dungeon."
He had learned about elite dungeons just a little while ago from listening to his seniors. There was a high chance that especially strong, elite named monsters would appear, and the dungeon reward was great, but it was that much harder compared to normal dungeons.
"Hoo..."
There was an extraordinary mana being exuded from beyond the opening, so he thought it wasn't a normal dungeon, but... he stopped himself from being drawn in by the concentrated magic and thoughtlessly walking in.
It was an entrance that he had barely found after defeating a level 3 elite monster. If he took it lightly and went in, he might get into some trouble.
'But still, I have to go inside.'
He wanted to prepare as much as possible before going inside. If one were to ask what those preparations were, there was obviously only one answer.
It was the secret shop.
"Guten Abend[1], Mr. Skeleton."
The red haired beauty sat behind the silver counter, and was eating an orange. When she saw him, she raised her hand and waved. Lee Shin Woo opened his eyes (he didn't have any, but that's how he felt), and asked.
"In what time zone is that the standard way of greeting someone?"
"That obviously depends on how I feel. You're underground, Customer, so you probably don't know the time. But the passage of time differs for each region; you have at least that much general knowledge, right?"
"..."
After hearing that, he suddenly felt curious. He wondered where this merchant usually stayed. Since she talked about time above ground, she might be someone who lives above ground.
She might've misunderstood his gaze, as the merchant hid the orange in her hand and spoke defensively.
"I'm not giving this to you. It's something that's hard to obtain in the Empire."
"I'm not interested, you know? Plus, I can't eat it, even if you give it to me!"
"Ah, right."
The merchant cheerfully laughed while peeling the rest of the orange and throwing the slices in her mouth. Lee Shin Woo promised that she'd get her just desserts someday, and asked her something. It was to decide what he would do with the 'Beginner Stealth' skill book that he had continuously stored in his inventory.
"I acquired a skill book for a skill I've already learned, so can I sell it here?"
"I'd recommend that you read it."
"Even though I've already learned it?"
"Though you've already learned the skill, the experience within each skill book differs. Your proficiency should also increase. And... unfortunately, our shop doesn't handle beginner skill books."
"It's such a great skill, so why!?"
The shopkeeper giggled, and said.
"It's only good when one is placed in a peculiar situation like yours, Customer. Aside from you, Customer, most of the other heroes are higher than level 4, so when would they have time to train the skill while fighting monsters higher than level 4? It would just add another unnecessary weakness."
"Ugh..."
It was a reasonable criticism. As he shook, he meekly retrieved the skill book and opened it. He didn't really need to read it. The moment he opened the book, the contents of the book entered into his brain, fully intact.
[The Low Rank Stealth skill has become level 4. You can move without making a sound. Agility has increased by 1.]
It was truly frustrating that the knowledge and the experiences within the skill book were never light. Lee Shin Woo, who had already trained and familiarized himself with the skill, was even more greatly aware of this, and by the time the skill book, which had done its job, disappeared into mana particles, the level of his skill went up.
The merchant beamed, as if she already knew about it, and looked straight at him. Lee Shin Woo felt angry, and was pointlessly curt, proposing the next order of business.
"Please give me a bone. The most expensive and worthwhile bone that I can afford."
"Hmm, you're level 3, right Customer? Level 3 bones are quite cheap, but they probably wouldn't help you right now. Then, you'd have to go up to level 4 bones, though I don't think you'd have that kind of money Customer... Oh my, you have more than 70,000 Perium already. How?"
When she checked the amount of Perium he had, her eyes gleamed with what appeared to be amusement.
"It's honestly not very surprising that you've leveled up to level 3 in two weeks since being dropped into the Empire. If we consider the power that you were given, we can say that you're talented. However, the total amount of money you gathered in that short period of time, as well as your Invisible Heart which has stopped at level 3... Customer, you're a bit interesting."
"I knew you thought I was interesting the first time you saw me, though."
The skeleton replied, uninterested. She burst out into an even greater laughter and clapped. And then she made an extremely unexpected offer.
"Very good. I've become interested in your story. Would you like to tell me about your experiences until now?"
"Are you going to give me something?"
"I wasn't planning on just hearing about your experiences for free. I'll reduce the price of your item by 20,000 Perium."
"Please sit down."
In exchange for telling his story, she would cut down the price of the transaction by 20,000 Perium, so he had no reason to refuse. He immediately straightened his neck and faced her. Her red eyes glowed, as if there were magic within them. She looked like she couldn't hold back her anticipation.
'Damn it, she's extremely pretty.'
It wasn't a problem that she was a beauty. The problem was that he didn't feel uneasy whatsoever when facing such a beauty.
"So in the beginning..."
Lee Shin Woo started his story with those dismal feelings. He precisely and concisely picked out the central parts of his story, from the moment he ended up in the Empire, to now.
"So, I ended up finding the path that leads to a level 2 elite dungeon, and decided to drop by here."
"Hoo, indeed."
The merchant breathed out, seemingly expressing satisfaction, and opened her mouth.
"That guile, that composure... Above all, your obsession over your life has caused a change, Customer. Even though you possess 100 lives, to think you'd place so much value on each and every one of them. Even God probably wouldn't have been able to predict this. Yes... by doing so, you became a new Trickster, Customer."
"Is that really important?"
"It is important. You're walking a path which no one else can walk in this world where everything is decided by karma. Moreover, you've already acquired 8 tokens at this stage? Ha, you're interesting. Really interesting. I don't feel like the Perium has gone to waste."
She clapped her hands and nodded her head. Lee Shin Woo felt like he had become an entertainer somewhere and asked her a question.
"If this information gets leaked to the others..."
"It won't happen. I double as an informant, but your information will not be leaked to anyone else, aside from me, and will be kept a secret. Even if that person is another hero."
"That's a relief."
And it was also beneficial that he'd learned that she doubled as an informant. Right now, he didn't have any problems as he had a lot of things to do right now, but further along the line, if his progress were to be blocked, it wouldn't be bad to pay her Perium in exchange for her advice.
When they were completely finished with their talk, Lee Shin Woo went on to the next matter.
"If you're satisfied, you're going to reduce the price by 20,000 Perium, right?"
"I said I'm not a Trickster, so I'll settle the deal fairly. Here, I've picked out the most expensive bones that you can buy with 91,130 Perium."
She took out two bones, one by one, from underneath the counter, and laid them atop the counter. One of them was a blue bone, and the other was a red bone. When he saw those two bones, he didn't know what to say.
"With a discount of 20,000 Perium... The red bone costs 67,510 Perium, and the blue bone costs 71,040 Perium."
"To think I'd have to pick between two bones again..."
There's a limit to bad taste! Moreover, though the colors are the same as last time, the levels are different, and they're bones from a completely different monster! Lee Shin Woo, while firmly grinding his teeth, checked the prices first. If he bought the blue bone, he would be left with 90[2] Perium, and was pissed since it was similar to last time.
"You obviously can't tell me what monster it came from, right?"
"Of course. Ah, if you were to buy a cheaper bone, you could check the information right after, but would you like to do that? Though I wouldn't recommend it."
The merchant didn't hide her intent and snickered. Perhaps she had offered the 20,000 Perium discount in order to present these two bones at the same time and to piss him off!
Lee Shin Woo meticulously inspected the exterior of the two bones. He couldn't differentiate them by their hardness alone, and the magic coming from them as well...
Wait a second, magic?
"...Hmm."
"Hoh."
When Lee Shin Woo concentrated deeply on the two bones, the merchant looked amused.
"You're honestly a bit surprising. To think you'd awaken such aptitude in magic from just the experience you acquired from that bone last time... Oh my, it seems like you already can't hear what I'm saying."
"Hmm..."
There was magic in all the bones he'd acquired until now. It was just that the tendency of that magic changed.
When the bones contained a pure, deep magic, he would gain magic stat points, but if there was a different, complex power within, he could gain other stats as well.
'While it was alive, the owner of the bone had a special power, and that special power was wrapped in magic; through Bone Reinforcement, that lock was removed, and it felt like that power was transferred to me intact...'
Of course, even if he didn't know what monster the bones in front of him belonged to, he had absorbed hundreds, if not thousands of bones that raised various stats. Though he didn't know about the skills, he felt like he could read the pattern of the magic that changed depending on which stat it would raise.
[Low Rank Magic Affinity has become Lv4. Magic has increased by 3.]
'...Yeah, I feel like I know now.'
Of course, since they were both level 4 bones, the amount and quality of the mana differed compared to the other bones he had acquired, and the pattern boasted a complexity on another level to those that came before, but... still, he could read the flow of mana within and when he exerted himself, he was able to intuitively grasp the abilities of the bones.
'The red bone is clearly from a warrior, or something similar. I can probably gain strength and health from that one. The blue bone is... honestly purely magic. It's a magician. To think that they'd really be divided based on color...'
He didn't need to think about it complicatedly. Both the red bone and the blue bone would reveal their owner's power and characteristics. The red magic corresponded to strength and health, while the blue magic was entirely focused on magic, and emitted light.
'Between the two, the one I need the most right now is...'
Right now, when the level 2 elite dungeon is right ahead of him, which ability should he increase? If he were to just look at his stats, he should leave his excessively grown magic stat, and it seemed like procuring strength and health was a good choice. Moreover, acquiring the warrior's skill was appealing...
However.
"I'll go with the blue bone."
Despite all that, Lee Shin Woo chose the blue bone, which would further increase the imbalance among his stats. He honestly thought that there wasn't any other choice but the blue bone.
Whether it be the Regeneration skill that he had made good use of in this dungeon, or the Harden skill that he'd have to concentrate on and train, or the Flames of Revenge, etc; using all these various skills necessitated him using mana.
So, for Lee Shin Woo, who considered training his skills as important as gaining stats, there was honestly no other choice from the very beginning.
"Haha, does it seem like I'll say something?"
But it seemed like the merchant was satisfied with his decision. She smiled brightly, grabbing the red bone and returning it, and passed the blue bone to him. Lee Shin Woo slightly tilted his head towards the inquiring merchant.
"Are you saying it was an excellent choice?"
"Yes, you're right. You made a really, really good decision. You may be the greatest Trickster that God has created."
Ever since Lee Shin Woo had divided the two bones based on their magic, she had been continuously smiling, and that smile only further deepened now.
"Magic is the basis for all strength. It's fine, so long as it's not an amount that the body cannot withstand, causing the body to break. Since you can do the rest with magic anyway. I'm talking about strengthening the body, as well as its changes. This is especially important to you, Customer, who has opened your eyes to magic at an early stage."
As he listened to her, Lee Shin Woo had a hunch. He could heal his shattered body through Regeneration, and the Harden skill he had just received could strengthen his body. So, there should be another skill that lets him reinforce his body in a different way.
Of course, strength, agility, and health were the fundamental abilities that influence the body and they were certainly important stats, but even when combining the three, magic was more important.
"Thank you. I've received your payment of 71,040 Perium."
"Then, I'll get going now. I'll come back faster next time and get that red bone, so please wait for me."
"Ah, please wait just a minute."
He didn't regret his decision, but he still had a lingering attachment to that red bone. He spoke the lines that retreating enemy troops would say, and when he was about to leave, the merchant grabbed him.
"I haven't properly heard your name yet, Customer."
"...My name is Lee Shin Woo."
He thought that the merchant would've already known his name by now, but Lee Shin Woo obediently told her his name. Lee Shin Woo would see her a lot in the future, so he thought it'd be better to formally introduce himself.
"My name is Pleine. As you can see, I'm responsible for the secret shop."
"Then I'll see you next time, Pleine."
"I hope you'll come and see me when you've become stronger."
It wasn't just his imagination that the merchant... Pleine seemed to be kinder to him than before. And that was all because he had personally proven his potential. The greatest virtue on this planet was none other than strength.
He suddenly realized that fact, smiling bitterly, he left the secret shop. He then returned to the clearing, in front of the dark, lengthy passageway.
"Hoo, then..."
Since he roughly knew the result, he didn't shake that much. After Lee Shin Woo had briefly grasped that there was no danger in his periphery, he boldly activated his Bone Reinforcement. He somehow figured out that it was a part of something else, and it was actually part of the skull, the sphenoid bone.
[Reinforcing the sphenoid bone. Your compatibility with the target is incredibly high and you have acquired a skill with great success! Magic has increased by 24. You are more deeply absorbing ???'s experiences and memories.]
"Hey, wait...!?"
Lee Shin Woo, who realized that the activation of the skill was different from last time, hurriedly tried to gesture, but it was obviously to no avail.
An enormous amount of information and a clear consciousness entered his brain, and for a short time, his consciousness was completely locked away.
And the appearance of another world unfolded.
[1] T/N: Good evening in German.
[2] T/N: Toika wrote 90 Perium last time when it should've been 70, but he counted correctly this time.
